REVIEWS
MUSIC REVIEW: ENSEMBLE AD LIBITUM
Musicians with period instruments produce beautifully warm tones By Peter Jacobi H-T Reviewer
September 1, 2010
The hero of the evening turned out to be Thomas Carroll, who not only soloed in the Mozart but returned to conduct the Haydn. At the Mozart, he proved remarkable as he pushed all those swift notes in the Allegro and closing Rondo through a wooden instrument that looked far more cumbersome to control than the modern clarinet and featured a strange, bulb-like extension of Carroll’s own making. Without doubt, he controlled; he conquered the beast. The tones one heard were clear and warm, beautifully warm [...] In the inspired middle movement, the Adagio, the dominant melody seemed to embrace one’s ears and race right to the heart. Carroll gave authentic voice to the music.
In the Haydn, one of the composer’s “Paris” symphonies, he made a true ensemble of ad Libitum [...] Carroll’s command gave the Haydn Number 84 vigor and snap, a firmer sense of togetherness.
Site Design and Photography by Sonia Oram ©2010
